1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to a stand for supporting a cup of coffee or other hot beverage, and in particular to a composite stand and oven unit which acts both as a stand for the cup of hot beverage and as a miniature oven to warm and render more palatable a food product that normally is eaten while drinking the beverage.
2. Status of Prior Art
In this era of fast food, the breakfast of most Americans is what is referred to in Europe as a continental breakfast. It consists of no more than a cup of hot coffee or tea and a roll, bagel, muffin, a piece of pastry or other food product which is normally eaten in conjunction with a hot beverage.
When freshly-prepared hot coffee is poured into a cup, it is usually piping hot and too hot to drink. Hence one must wait for the coffee to cool to an acceptable drinking temperature which will not scald the mouth of the drinker. On the other hand, a bagel, a muffin or other food product is normally served at room temperature and at this temperature the food product is not as tasty or as palatable as when it is warmed. Hence it is often the practice to place the food product in an oven to warm it. But since the typical oven is designed to accommodate a large load of food, it takes a relatively long time to heat a small food product, for in order to heat this product, the entire volume of air in the oven must first be heated. To give an extreme example, if one places a peanut in a conventional oven, it may take a half hour before the peanut is hot.
The patent to Sarg U.S. Pat. No. 2,604,976 discloses a liquid container and a food container which can be separately filled, yet can be combined to fit together. The food container then serves to close the liquid container, for the bottom of the food container acts as a cover for the liquid container. But these containers are made of paper board and are not in heat exchange relationship.
The multiple vessel container unit shown in the Clubb U.S. Pat. No. 4,078,701 makes use of two vessels, one above the other in heat exchange relationship. Thus when ice cubes are placed in the lower container and the upper container is filled with liquid, the liquid is then cooled by the ice. The Paige et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,926 shows a dual thermos in combination with a drinking cup and a compartment. But there is no heat exchange relationship between the two thermos bottles.